News Round Up (Sep. 21)

Happy Autumnal Equinox and Yom Kippur everyone.

Let's start off with the PP clinic in Aurora, IL (Chicago suburb) that's getting so much attention. PP has a blog they've started with correspondents on the ground and a YouTube page. At this time, the clinic will remain closed. What happened is that PP didn't use its own name when applying for the building permit. So now this is really about occupancy and building permits, but has, of course, turned into a huge abortion debate with the antis protesting and counter-protests and all kinds of nonsense. PP has a petition and a ribbon campaign and whatnot, but this is going to happen all over: until we stop depending upon the courts to protect our rights, they will be eliminated. Vote pro-choice (Democrat or Republican). Or, run for office.

Another big issue is the potential repeal of the Global Gag Rule. So here's what happened. A million years before blogs ever existed, President Reagan signed the Mexico City Policy, which restricted US federal funds to foreign Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). These NGOs, in order to receive US federal funds, could neither perform nor refer patients for abortions. The first thing President Clinton did when he came into office was to repeal the Executive Order, and it was one of the first things President Bush did when he took office. Anyway, there's been a lot of back and forth since then, including this summer. Senator Boxer attached a provision that would basically repeal the GGR to an appropriations bill. The bill hasn't yet gone to conference, and it's unlikely the President will sign, but that's how it stands.

The HPV vaccine is more effective (works against more strains of HPV) than previously thought. Also, you know that HPV causes cancers other than just cervical? The link between HPV and head and neck cancers is also documented (so now we have cervical, anal, throat, oral, head, neck and vulvar cancers caused by HPV). Catholic parents in Windsor, Canada, will be allowed to opt their daughters out of getting the HPV vaccine (they're being provided for free to girls in Grade 8). Speaking of cancer, alcohol consumption in older women is linked to endometrial cancer.

Slovakia did not alter its conscience clause, which it had considered removing altogether.

Stem cells that make sperm can make other kinds of cells. Baby needs a new pair of knees! Actually, what this does is further endorse the idea that embryonic stem cells are not necessary for scientific research. Which is good, because the US doesn't really have a whole lot of those.

The NYT and IHT have front page stories on FGM in Egypt. Funny - I did a whole project on FGM in Egypt while I was in graduate school. My friends were horrified by just the line drawings of what it is. As well we all should be.

An alarmist article on tattoos and epidurals; I would mostly ignore this, but thought I should post it regardless. I mean, really, is there anything a pregnant woman can do these days? And I'm not getting back into the whole women should always think of themselves as pre-pregnant thing from earlier this week, because I just calmed down from it.

Comments

News Round Up (Sep. 21)

Happy Autumnal Equinox and Yom Kippur everyone.

Let's start off with the PP clinic in Aurora, IL (Chicago suburb) that's getting so much attention. PP has a blog they've started with correspondents on the ground and a YouTube page. At this time, the clinic will remain closed. What happened is that PP didn't use its own name when applying for the building permit. So now this is really about occupancy and building permits, but has, of course, turned into a huge abortion debate with the antis protesting and counter-protests and all kinds of nonsense. PP has a petition and a ribbon campaign and whatnot, but this is going to happen all over: until we stop depending upon the courts to protect our rights, they will be eliminated. Vote pro-choice (Democrat or Republican). Or, run for office.

Another big issue is the potential repeal of the Global Gag Rule. So here's what happened. A million years before blogs ever existed, President Reagan signed the Mexico City Policy, which restricted US federal funds to foreign Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). These NGOs, in order to receive US federal funds, could neither perform nor refer patients for abortions. The first thing President Clinton did when he came into office was to repeal the Executive Order, and it was one of the first things President Bush did when he took office. Anyway, there's been a lot of back and forth since then, including this summer. Senator Boxer attached a provision that would basically repeal the GGR to an appropriations bill. The bill hasn't yet gone to conference, and it's unlikely the President will sign, but that's how it stands.

The HPV vaccine is more effective (works against more strains of HPV) than previously thought. Also, you know that HPV causes cancers other than just cervical? The link between HPV and head and neck cancers is also documented (so now we have cervical, anal, throat, oral, head, neck and vulvar cancers caused by HPV). Catholic parents in Windsor, Canada, will be allowed to opt their daughters out of getting the HPV vaccine (they're being provided for free to girls in Grade 8). Speaking of cancer, alcohol consumption in older women is linked to endometrial cancer.

Slovakia did not alter its conscience clause, which it had considered removing altogether.

Stem cells that make sperm can make other kinds of cells. Baby needs a new pair of knees! Actually, what this does is further endorse the idea that embryonic stem cells are not necessary for scientific research. Which is good, because the US doesn't really have a whole lot of those.

The NYT and IHT have front page stories on FGM in Egypt. Funny - I did a whole project on FGM in Egypt while I was in graduate school. My friends were horrified by just the line drawings of what it is. As well we all should be.

An alarmist article on tattoos and epidurals; I would mostly ignore this, but thought I should post it regardless. I mean, really, is there anything a pregnant woman can do these days? And I'm not getting back into the whole women should always think of themselves as pre-pregnant thing from earlier this week, because I just calmed down from it.